The Dragon Band
by D. L. Sauron- AlmightyLOTRnerd
Summary: It all starts when Rascal Flatts lead singer Gary LeVox is kidnapped by a passing dragon. From there, Gary learns of an entire society hidden from the human world, and an ancient conflict that dates back to prehistory. On top of it all, he and the other two Flatts, Jay and Joe Don, find a shocking secret about their pasts...and themselves. PLATONIC Gary/Joe Don pairing.
1. Nothing Like This

**Okay, other fans out there, PLEASE DON'T KILL ME FOR THIS! I've had all kinds of ideas for Rascal Flatts fanfics, but I never got to write one until now. I'll just warn you, I'm a Gary fan, so don't be surprised if there's not as much Jay and Joe as there is Gary. This is told from Gary's POV.**

**Rascal Flatts belong to their mommas and daddies. Their lyrics and music belong to them and Big Machine Records. However, this version of them is mine. Their personalities and behavior here are not in any way based on those of the actual Rascal Flatts, just the Rascal Flatts that exists in my D. L.-verse.**

**- 1. Nothing Like This -  
**

This should have been just another concert for me. For all three of us, really. We should have been able to just go out, sing our songs, make some jokes, all the usual stuff. It should have gone without a hitch. But it didn't. This was the day everything changed. This was the day my world was turned upside down. Everything I had ever known was shattered by what I learned this day, and what Jay and Joe Don learned just days later. I've heard reporters say "Well, not every Rascal Flatts concert is perfect. They _are _only human." Guess what, reporters. You're wrong. Everyone who thinks we're human is wrong.

We're not human. Not anymore.

**XxxxxxxxxxX**

"Hey, Gary!" Jay called, "You comin' or what?" He stood at the back entrance of the covered stage. Riverbend never was one of my favorite venues. It was too cramped.

"You're one to talk." I said as I reached him. "It took Joe Don and a garden hose to get you out of bed today."

Jay scowled, "That better not be on YouTube."

I smirked, "It's not...yet."

"Is there ever a day you two don't argue?" Joe Don asked.

"Yeah. The day Jay becomes lead singer." I said. "And we all know _that_ won't be happening any time soon."

"Hey, meatheads." Taylor Swift called as she came off stage, "You're up next. I'd get back there if I were you."

"And if Jay didn't eat beans." her guitarist added. Joe and I tried in vain to conceal our snickers. I don't know how, but Jay can work up some MAJORLY toxic "fumes" when he eats beans. Put that in the small space backstage, and someone would probably pass out. Someone meaning me.

"What! Hey, come back here you-"

"Come on, Jay." I grabbed his wrist and basically dragged him up the set of stairs to wait.

**XxxxxxxxX**

We were about halfway through the concert when it happened. We didn't hear the screaming until we finished the end of "Secret Smile" I could see people at the back of the amphitheatre screaming and running. The screaming spread forward until it reached us. Looking back, I realize I probably should have stayed on the stage, but at the time my curiosity got the better of me. I jumped down and pushed my way through the crowd toward the exits.

"Gary!" Joe Don called. I could hear Jay cursing as he and Joe tried to follow me. The crowd swept me out from under the covered theatre, where I froze and looked up. And that's when I saw it.

The creature was huge, its black batlike wings spread to either side. It had a long whiplike tail that lashe around behind it, and it had large blades on the end of its tail. Its feet were like a cross between paws and talons, with flat bottoms and long slender toes. Its long neck held up an enormous head with two long, swept back horns on top and two smaller ones on the back of each cheek. It had long white fangs and a mouth filled with more sharp teeth. It let out a deafening roar, and at the same time a jet of blue flame shot from its mouth.

It was a dragon. A very _real, _very _alive _dragon. And its blue snakelike eyes were locked onto a target. The thing it was hunting for. And what was this thing it was looking for?

Me.

The dragon angled its head straight toward me and dove. Now my legs decided to work again. I turned and ssprinted toward where I knew the entrance to the backstage area was.

_I'm gonna make it! I'm gonna make it! _I thought. I could see Jay and Joe Don ahead of me running in the same direction. I also saw the shadow fall over me. I ran as hard and fast as I could, but it wasn't enough to escape. I felt the talon wrap around my chest and torso, my arms and legs flailing about as I tried to get loose, even as I was lifted into the air.

"GARY!" Jay shouted as he and Joe Don saw me being carried off over their heads. Jay started to throw rocks at the beast, but Joe Don grabbed him by the wrist.

"Don't!" he said, "You might hurt Gary!"

"Gary's gonna be worse than hurt if we don't get him back-AAHH!" Jay plowed right into a chainlink fence, where he and Joe Don could only watch helplessly as the dragon soared over their heads, climbing higher into the sky.

"JAAAAYYYY! JOOOOE! HEEEELP ME!" I screamed. The dragon growled, as if warning me to shut up. It lifted its talon and held me closer to its chest as it flew higher. Now we were over the river and gaining speed. Already, I had lost sight of Jay and Joe Don, which had me all the more scared to death. I cried out louder and thrashed madly in he creature's grasp. I felt myself coming loose and thrashed harder, hoping it would lose me over the water, and I could swim back to Riverbend, or at least to that side of the river. The dragon must have grown tired of my struggling, because it turned its head and showed its teeth.

At that moment, I could have sworn I heard the dragon saying something under its breath. But before I could ask what it said, my entire body went numb, my head fell forward, and I blacked out.

**XxxxxxxxxX**

The first thing I heard was a soft sniffing sound as something hard and smooth brushed against my cheek. I could feel something warm and heavy on my chest, and the smell of pine was everywhere. I could hear various birds calling each other. I opened my eyes to see where I was. And basically had a mini heart attack.

Not three inches from my face, was the mouth of a dragon.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed and scrambled backwards away from it, shoving it off my chest. I heard it give a confused whimper as it just sat there. I turned back to face it, and felt my face turning red. It was only a baby dragon, not much bigger than a small dog.

"Oh, Khamûl, now you've gone and frightened the poor thing." A female voice, followed by the appearance of its owner, another larger dragon that ambled slowly over to where I was. She had to be an old dragon to be moving so slowly, and her once black scales had faded to brown with age.

"Um, excuse me," I said, making her look up, "but, uh, could you tell me...where am I?"

"I know not what your kind call these lands, but we know them as Khaládras."

"Khaládras." I repeated. She nodded.

"By the way, I am Maagnis. You've already met Khamûl." The baby perked up at the sound of his name.

"Um...I'm Gary. Gary LeVox." That wasn't my real last name, but it was the one I used most often.

"Gary LeVox." Maagnis repeated, appearing to size me up and think deeply about it. "It suits you." she said.

Before either of us could say any more, there was a loud crashing through the trees as another, larger dragon appeared. Khamûl yelped and jumped into my arms, hiding his face in my shirt. I looked down at the baby dragon, huddled against me as though I were its mother.

"Teek, you know better than to come running up like that. You scared the living daylights out of the poor baby." Teek ignored her words and eyed me before he spoke.

"I see the creature is awake. Good. Alloran has requested that you bring it to him immediately."

"_He _has a name, Teek." Maagnis glared at him before approaching me. She knelt down on her front legs in front of me.

"Get on." she commanded. Teek looked away, as if disgusted by my very existence.

"Filthy half-breed." he muttered under his breath. I clambered onto Maagnis' back and set Khamûl in my lap. I took hold of a spike on the back of her neck. She took off at a brisk run, Khamûl's little talons gripping my shoulders tightly. As we rean, I thought back to Teek's muttered words. _Filthy half-breed. _Who was he talking about? This Alloran guy? Maagnis? Khamûl? Could it be, possibly...

Me?

**XxxxxxxxxxxX**

**Ha ha, left you at a cliffy, didn't I. I'm so evil.**

**Anyway, I decided to end this chapter her because too much happens in the next one, and it would make this one too long. This is probably going to mix a lot of fandoms together, so of course it's going to be AU, and probably pretty OOC too. So please click that little button down there that says "Review" and tell me what you think.**


	2. Changed

**Here's the next chapter. This is where it starts to get interesting.**

**- 2. Changed -**

If I though the other dragons were big, they were nothing compared to Alloran. Even Teek would have looked tiny beside him. I saw him at the far end of a narrow clearing when Maagnis stopped and let me off.

"This is where I leave you, Gary." she said. I didn't like hearing that. If this Alloran got angry over something, I would be toast, no pun intended. "Don't worry, you'll be fine. I'll go hunting and find something to eat. Khamûl, you stay with Gary for now." Khamûl was only too happy to do that. He was perched on my left shoulder, his back legs holding on to the back of my neck and the top of my back. His tail was draped over my right shoulder, one of his little wings patting the back of my head. Before I could protest, maagnis took off in a rush of wings and disappeared over the treetops. With a sigh, I turned and walked to the end of the clearing. Khamûl's tail brushed my chest and I squeezed the end. Khamûl gave a soft yelp and nipped at my hand.

"Sorry." I said, patting him on his head, "Guess I'm a little nervous."

"Don't be." came a deep male voice. I looked up and saw the huge dragon looking down at me.

"You're Alloran." I stated. The dragon nodded.

"Gary LeVox." Alloran looked me up and down. "At last we've found you. I've been waiting for you."

"Why? I mean, why me?"

"You don't know? Hmm. Well, Gary, have you ever heard of what your kind call 'dragon-men?"

"Yeah. They're half man and half dragon. What about them?" I asked.

"The first dragon-men, or 'onnicks' as we call them, were born from dragons who assumed human forms and...mated...with humans. They were able to switch between full human, onnick, and full dragon forms. In onnick form, they looked like ordinary men from their waist up, except for their wings. They had dragon legs and tails, as well as the ability to breathe fire. Thus, they were said to have a 'flame' within them. Do you understand?" I nodded, and he continued, "As you can imagine, these onnicks in turn married and passed their dragon blood on to their descendents. Now here's where it can get confusing. Every descendent carried the 'flame' but it only showed itself in every other descendent."

"So, it would show itself in that onnick's grandchildren instead of their children." I said.

"Yes, that's exactly right. And because of that, only those grandchildren would be able to become onnicks. The carriers would remain ordinary humans."

"With all due respect, while this is very intriguing, what does any of this have to do with me?" I raised my hands from my sides for emphasis. The rhinestones on my stage shirt glittered in the thin shafts of sunlight that made it through the forest canopy.

"Well, long ago, a dragon king fell for a woman from a Celtic tribe. As you can imagine, the two had a child, who inherited, carried, and passed on a flame. This cycle continued, even as the family moved and changed. Since we dragons can live almost forever, the dragon king followed his descendents and watched the progress of the flame. Many onnicks were born, but sadly, most were killed in human battles, or by servants of the dragon king's greatest enemy, Morzana. She and her rebel clan despised onnicks, and did whatever they could to eliminate them, even killing off the carriers.. The dragon king fought hard alongside his own clan to protect his family and other onnick families that were threatened. Eventually, the king moved his family to this land, known then as New France and New England. Several generations later, they settled in the region humans called Ohio, in a city called Columbus. While there, the line continued, until one carrier's husband was killed in a fire before they could have a child. So, the dragon king assumed a human form, a man named Gerald W. Vernon."

"Gerald W. Vernon! That's my father's name!" I cried, almost throwing Khamûl off his perch. Alloran took no notice of my outburst and continued.

"Gerald married the carrier, Judith Fuller, and had a son, who, since Judith was the carrier of the flame, was an onnick, though they never told him what he was. The boy went on to become a very talented singer. They changed his last name, so it would be harder for Morzana's scouts to find him. His name was-"

"Gary LeVox. Wasn't it." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Yes. Gary, you are that child. You are an onnick." I took a moment to let that sink in. I was half dragon! How could I not have noticed anything strange about myself! And...

"How do you know all this?" I asked. Alloran lowered his head so his eye was at the same level as my eyes.

"Because I am Alloran, King of Dragons, the king I spoke of. And you, Gary, are my son."

Wow. Whatever I'd been expecting, it sure wasn't that. Me, the little old lead singer of Rascal Flatts, was actually the prince of the dragons, and therefore heir to Alloran's throne, should he ever leave it.

"So...why come looking for me now? I mean, you left me alone for a while, and now this."

"Two reasons. The first reason is that the flame has become dormant from not being used since the Celtic times, so in order for you to have your onnick abilities, I must 'ignite' your flame by proclaiming you a member of my clan. The second is that Morzana's scouts are hot on your trail. Morzana believes you have inside information about me and my clan that she wants so she can destroy us. I know you do not have what she wants, but she will try to torture it out of you, an ordeal you couldn't possibly survive without your onnick abilities. Even then, it could still leave you incapacitated for quite some time. Also, she wishes you dead for being an onnick. So, I guess you could say I brought you here to protect you." Oh. Wow. I'm a dragon prince with dragons who want to kill me. Yeah, just another day in my life.

"Of course, I will understand if you choose not to ignite your flame and join the clan. We will still protect you either way."

"As nice as that sounds, I'd like to live longer than this week. And I want to be able to fight back if one of those...uh..."

"Morzanites, as we call them." Alloran filled in.

"...Morzanites finds me and you guys can't help. I guess what I'm saying is that I'll do it. Ignite my my flame. Make me an onnick."

Alloran would have smiled if his face was built for it.

"Very well then. Remove one side of your shirt." I shifted Khamûl to my other shoulder and exposed my left shoulder. Alloran lowered his head and pressed his snout to my bare skin. I immediately felt a tingling throughout my whole body, and it seemed as though I rose and floated in the air for a bit. Alloran opened his mouth and I was engulfed in blue flame. Strangely, though, I wasn't burning.

_Of course I'm not burning! I'm half dragon! Dragons are immune to fire! _I thought. I could feel the bones of my legs lengthening and rearranging themselves, and a strange itching on my back. When I tried to turn around and look at it, I found I couldn't move. All the while, I could feel new strength like I'd never had before coursing through me, as though my blood was liquid fire inside me. It was like being woken up after a very long sleep. Something inside me had stirred an awakened. This was me, the real me. This was who I truly was. Who and what I was meant to be.

As quickly as it started, the flames around me disappeared. and I felt my fet touch the ground. As soon as they did, I could feel a difference. My weight was more spread out on each foot. Something lashed around behind me at the base of my spine. There was a slight aditional weight on my back. I could feel that I now had new muscles that I'd never had before. I flexed the new muscles in my back. and watched, astonished, as my huge wings were raised high over my head. Yes, I now had a pair of enormous black leathery dragon wings. I tried the muscles in my lower back. A blade-ended tail whipped around in front of me. I looked down and saw my new dragon legs. My feet, like Alloran's, had long slender toes that ended in deadly sharp claws. On my left shoulder, as I pulled my stage shirt back on, I saw a mark that looked like a slash from som three-clawed animal.

"The mark of our clan." Alloran stated. I finished pulling the shirt on and carefully walked on my talon/paw feet over to a nearby pool of water and looked in. I could see that my teeth had gotten sharper, and my eyes were a bit larger. Somehow, if I turned my head just the right way, the water was like a mirror. I could see that my eyes were still blue, but now there were flecks of silver mixed in. Somehow, I didn't think I looked strange at all, even with the wings and tail.

"Is...is that really me?" I asked. Alloran nodded.

"It is now." he said, "This is you, Gary. As you were meant to be."

"So, can I reaaly..."

"Fly? Of course! Just follow what your instincts tell you." I went back to the center of the clearing. Khamûl, who had fallen off when Alloran ignited my flame, eagerly clambered up onto my back.

"So, you wanna go for a ride, huh?" The baby dragon tossed his head excitedly.

"Alright, then. Hold on!" I raised my wings and bent my knees. Then I thrust downward with my wings and jumped up. The mighty downbeat from my wings sent us rocketing skyward. I beat my wings harder until we were above the treetops. Then I felt the warm breeze blow up from beneath and fill my wings. I stopped flapping and spread my wings to their full enormous thirty-foot span and let the wind carry me higher still. I soon figured out that my bladed tail doubled as a rudder. I curled my tail so the blade pointed off to my right. At the same time, I raised my left wing and lowered my right wing, banking evenly into a gentle right-hand turn. I did a full circle an leveled out, only to bank into a left-hand turn and do another circle. Khamûl squealed with delight, as this was probably his first time in the air. I loosed a loud yell of my own, which turned into a large tongue of blue flame. If someone asked me what I loved most about being an onnick, I'd say, without hesitation, flying. This wasn't just parasailing or hang-gliding. I was _actually flying._ With real _wings. _It's an impossible feeling to put into words. The sheer joy and freedom of it took my breath away. I could see everything! The river, an interstate bridge a little ways up the river, other birds. The birds didn't seem to fear me, at least a group of hawks didn't. To them, I was just another bird of prey, albeit a giant one that looked nothing like a bird. I easily fell into their flight patterns, mimicking their turns and wing movements as best I could, joining the aerial dance as though I had been born there. I closed my eyes, the wind in my face lulling me into sweet bliss.

A piercing shriek brought me back to reality. I turned around to see Khamûl plummeting earthward, flapping his not-yet-formed wings in an effort to not fall. I gasped and folded my wings in, dipping into a steep nosedive straight toward him. I shot like an arrow toward the ground, my arms stretching out as I neared Khamûl. Time seemed to slow as I reached him, my arms wrapping around the little body. Time sped up again as I saw the ground racing toward us. I snapped open my wings and gave a hard downbeat, reversing our direction and sending us up again. Khamûl buried his entire face in my shirt, whimpering loudly.

"You're okay. I gotcha." I said reassuringly, stroking the smooth scales on his back. I wheeled around and headed back to the clearing, where I landed gracefully, as if I'd done it all my life.

Maagnis was waiting there with Alloran when I landed.

"That was quite an impressive rescue, Gary." Alloran complimented.

"Meh, it was nothin'. Just bein' a good person."

"Well, whatever you want to call it, you saved Khamûl's life." Maagnis said, "I'm gald it was a young one like you this happened with. An elder like me would never have been able to move fast enough."

"Well, I just figured his mother wouldn't like it too well if he died when he was with me." The two dragons stared at me in silence, "What?" I asked.

"Gary..."Maagnis spoke slowly, shakily, "Khamûl doesn't have a mother. Or a father. They were slain by Morzanites." Jeez, as if their vendetta against me wasn't enough reason to hate those guys.

"Oh. So...who takes care of him?" I asked.

"Whoever he begs first." Maagnis answered solemnly, "I wish we could find someone who would be willing to take him on."

"Hmm...Hey! Why don't I do it? He's already pretty comfortable with me!" Maagnis' and Alloran's eyes widened.

"You would do that, Gary?" she asked.

"Well, it's not looking like I have much choice." I said with a laugh as I gestured to the sleeping baby in my arms. Not that I minded. I'd actually, in the short time I'd known him, come to like the energetic little dragon.

"Then it's settled. Gary is now Khamûl's caretaker." Alloran stated, "Now that my business here is done, I must rejoin the search."

"As must I." said Maagnis.

"Search? For what?" I asked.

"You aren't the only one. We're going to find the other two onnicks spawned by dragons in this clan." And with a rush of wings, they were gone.

**XxxxxxxxxxxX**

**Hmm, other onnicks will enter soon. Who will they be? Friends or foes? And will Gary ever see Jay and Joe Don again? You'll find out later, but for now, you know what to do. Click that button that says "Review"**

**P. S. Has anyone (after reading this one) figured out what I'm doing with the chapter neames yet?**


	3. A Little Home

**As I said before, other onnicks enter in this chapter. I have no more rambling to do, so here's Rascal Flatts with the disclaimer.**

**Jay: D. L. does not own us.**

**Joe Don: Or our music.**

**Gary: She does own this version of us, all the dragon characters, the idea for onnicks, and this fic. Oh, and a fangirl crush on me (smirk).**

**Jay and Joe Don: (sweatdrop)**

**- 3. A Little Home -**

The next day, I woke up to Khamûl pouncing up and down on my chest and licking my face excitedly.

"Mhm, five more minutes, Joe." I moaned, but he only jumped on me more and started shrieking in my face, stopping only to lick my cheek again. Finally, I gave up on sleeping and sat up laughing.

"Okay, okay, I'm up Khamûl, I'm up." He jumped off and let me sit all the way up. I yawned and stretched my arms and wings. I had slept in my onnick form so I could use my wings for blankets. After I stretched, I stood up and brushed the pine needles off my shirt. Khamûl scampered in circles around me, chirping energetically.

"What is it?" I asked, "You hungry or something?" His head nodded and he ran another circle. My stomach growled and told me I was hungry, too. I realized I would have to hunt for our breakfast, since there was no McDonald's or Speedway here and I couldn't take Khamûl in if there was.

"All right, climb on and we'll go get breakfast." He scrambled up my tail and settled himself on my back. I took off and flew low over the treetops, my now hawk-like vision scanning for any signs of movement below. I saw a large buck under some trees, but decided I didn't want my first hunt to end with me being shish-kebabed by the deer's antlers. I saw a stream running by up ahead and angled toward it, a slight thermal lifting me up a bit. I could see clearly through the water to the darting, wriggling bodies of fish underneath.

_That might be an easier catch, _I thought. I set my sights on a particularly large one and slowly swooped down toward the water, my talons stretched out below me like I'd watched hawks do when I went on fishing trips with friends. At that time, I never though that was how _I _would ever catch a fish. Funny how those things never work out the way you expect.

I felt my talons break the surface of the water, felt them wrap around the warm body, felt the fish thrashing against me as I flapped my wings and pulled up and away from the water. I laughed when I remembered that just two days ago, I had been in the same position as the fish when Maagnis snatched me up from my concert. Except now I was the predator. For this fish, I was death from above. I used one toe on a talon to pierce the fish's heart, killing it instantly.

"Now then, we can't eat it like-" I was cut off as the fish disappeared into Khamûl's mouth. He licked his lips innocently, as if it were the most normal thing to do.

"I stand corrected." He gave a series of small chirps that sounded a lot like giggling.

"Well, that takes care of you. Now I have to go find something for me to eat, since that fish I caught seems to have disappeared." I landed on the bank of the stream and let Khamûl off. He still had over half the fish uneaten in his mouth, which he place on the ground in front of him and began to eat vigorously. I flew out and caught another fish and brought it back to the bank. Khamûl may have been able to eat it raw, skin and all, but I hated sushi with a passion. Thankfully, since I went fishing a lot, I knew how to cleand cook the fish as soon as I caught it. I didn't have my hunting knife, but realized I didn't need it as I picked up the end of my tail. The blade on the end was about the same length as my hunting knife, but it was a lot sharper and could make finer cuts. I carefully skinned and gutted the fish, laying the meat on a rock beside me and throwing the rest back into the stream. I yelped loudly when I unconsciously squeezed the handle of my "knife" rather tightly. Well, it wasn't like I'd ever had a hunting knife that was _attached _to me before.

Now came the fun part, cooking my breakfast. I used my fire breath to heat the rock enough that the meat started to cook. When i smelled that one side was done, I reached over with my hand and flipped each piece over, the side that had been cooking now a rich golden brown on the outside. When they were done, Khamûl sidled up to me with a bit of his fish still hanging out of his mouth. He flopped down beside me as I ate my fish (which, I might add, was VERY tasty).

Just as I finished the last bits of my fish, Khamûl jumped up and started growling at some unseen thing downstream from us. I was immediately on high alert. Whatever was coming would have a surprise waiting when it arrived. Turns out I didn't have to wait long. What Khamûl must have sensed before I did came upstream, toward where we were sitting. Two black dots appeared in the sky and rapidly grew into the forms of two dragons. I stared for a moment, then burst out laughing.

It was Maagnis and Alloran. But that wasn't what had me laughing. On Maagnis' back sat a rather relaxed, almost blissful-looking Joe Don, while Alloran carried a kicking and thrashing Jay by his arms. With my keen dragon senses, I could hear Jay screaming at the top of his lungs, while Joe Don was trying very hard not to laugh. It really was a pretty funny sight. I decided now was a good time to add to Jay's shock and possibly get a priceless-yet-still-somhow-cute look on Joe Don's little baby-face. I placed Khamûl on my back and took off flying straight toward them.

Joe Don saw me first. His expression didn't change much until I got close enough for him to recognize me. Then his hand flew to his mouth and his eyebrows shot up as his eyes widened. Jay was still obliviously ranting at Alloran, his rants falling on deaf ears.

"Jay!" Joe called.

"...better tell me right now, or I'll-"

"_Jay!" _ Joe tried again. Still nothing.

"...if there's even a single _scratch _on Gary when I find him-"

"JAY! GARY'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!" Joe Don yelled as loud as he could. This got Jay's attention, and he looked over at Joe Don. Then he spotted me, flying on my back a little in front of them.

"Hi, Jay-la!" I smiled innocently, as if we were just messing around backstage at a concert. I gave him a little wave for emphasis. Khamûl looked up from where he was laying on my chest.

"G-Gary? But...h-how...Wha...Who...You..." Jay's eyes got even wider, if that was even possible. Then he returned to his usual I-think-I'm-your-father-even-though-you're-a-whole-year-older-than-me mood.

"Gary, you had us worried to death! You could have at least ried to cntact us and let us know you were safe!" He was trying to sound stern and scolding, but I could tell he was relieved and glad to see that I was okay.

We flew back and landed in the clearing where I first became an onnick. Alloran told each of them the story of the flame in their families, which was pretty much like mine, except for a few details. The dragons that had started it for them had been females. Joe's had gotten together with an Egyptian pharaoh and started passing his flame down. The dragoness was dead now, thanks to the Morzanites. Jay's flame originated in an ancient Ice Age tribe, where a dragoness joined with a medicine man/shaman. The identity of this dragoness, however, was unknown, since Alloran had still been a child at the time. When that was done, Alloran gave them the choice to ignite their flames.

"I'll do it." Joe Don said almost instantly. Jay was still debating.

"I don't know..."

"Oh, come on! Gary did it, and he's fine. He actually looked like he enjoyed it."

"Yeah, but..."

"Come on! Pleeeeeeease, Jay!" Joe Don gave him the puppy eyes, which he had mastered to a science.

""Yeah, Jay. You don't want Joe to fry your butt trying to get you up in the morning." I added.

"Well...All right. What the heck. You only live once. I'll do it." Jay said at last.

Soon there were three onnicks standing in the clearing. Jay and Joe Don admiring their new selves, flicking their tails, flexing their talons, raising and lowering their wings.

"Huh. I don't feel that weird at all." Jay said, curling the end of his tail.

"Come on, you two! Follow me!" I showed them how to take off, and the next thing we knew, all three of us were flying.

"Okay, I'm just gonna say. THIS is cool." Jay banked left to avoid a divebombing Joe Don, who pulled up into a graceful loop-the-loop.

"Cool? This is AWESOME!" Joe Don yelled. I laughed and shot through the center of one of Joe Don's loops. This continued even after the sun started to go down, when we would use our flame breath and light up the sky. Ironically, this was the first stress-free time we'd spent with each other for a while. And while the reason we had it was a bit strange, the time itself was well worth the wait.

**XxxxxxxxxxxX**

****She grinned to herself as she watched them from afar. How vulnerable and naive they were, like children, loosing flames and letting her see them clearly. Good, they were all there. Now she could put her plans into action.

"Just you wait, little ones," she hissed, "You'll be all mine soon."

**XxxxxxxxxxxX**

**Congratulations to butterflyninja935 for correctly figuring out who the other two onnicks were. Now, to see if anyone figures out what's with the chapter names (Don't tell, butterfly!) Also, who was that spying on them? An angry, Gary-Jay-or-Joe-Don-obsessed fangirl, maybe?**


	4. How Strong Are You Now

**Hello all. It's D. L. Sauron, back with another chapter in Rascal Flatts' new lives as half dragons. Here, we get a closer look at the _PLATONIC_ love between Gary and Joe Don (they're not gay, but they're very close to each other).**

**Note: For any who just read that and had this thought, NO, there will be NO LEMONS in this fic, not even implied lemons. The closest they'll get is a hug or a peck on the forehead/top of the head. Sorry, lemon fans, but I don't write s-e-x scenes.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Rascal Flatts, just my version of them.**

* * *

**- 4. How Strong Are You Now -**_  
_

_I'll never forget my first encounter with a Morzanite._

I woke up the next morning to hissing and growling. Suddenly, something wet and sandpapery smacked into my face. I sat up abruptly and looked down to find a fish in my lap. It flopped weakly against my legs. I picked it up, staring at it in confusion, until hisses and growls followed by two pairs of talon-ended legs appeared in front of me, glaring at the fish in my lap.

"Oh, honestly, aren't you two a bit old to be fighting over your food?" I asked tiredly.

"It's not my fault!" Jay exclaimed, "Joe only got one!"

"And I was _lucky _to get that _one. _You wouldn't stop splashing and making noise! You scared everything away!" Joe Don retorted, his face slipping into a childlike pout, a look I knew all too well. I stood up and stretched my wings out behind me. This was nothing new, except that they were arguing over a live fish caught with their talons, instead of the last S'mores-flavored Pop-tarts. Oh, well. I still knew just what to do.

"Jay, you take that fish and keep a close eye on Khamûl. Joe, fly with me." I turned and jumped into the air, the sound of wingbeats proof of Joe Don following. We rose on the warm air currents over the river (the Aydnsiuil, Alloran called it). I flew faster, in a hurry to get us out of sight and earshot. We landed beneath an old willow tree, its branches forming a curtain around us. I looked at Joe Don and saw that my timing had been perfect, as his eyes were already watery.

I don't know what happened to him when he was younger, but Joe was very easily upset. The smallest of arguments could leave him crying for several minutes. And Jay was an expert at upsetting him, even when it was an accident. So, ever since I learned that about him, I took it upon myself to help him through whatever happened. He eventually learned to just come to me when he was upset. He knew I would meet him with open arms, a caring heart, ...and unconditional love. I had become very close to Joe Don from all the instances where someone (usually Jay, fangirls, our managers, Jay, tabloid reporters, paparazzi, or Jay) had managed to upset him. He was the youngest, the "baby", of Rascal Flatts. But more than that, he was _my _baby. I had made him a promise, after a particularly serious incident upsetting Joe Don. I had promise him that I would always be there when he needed me. I would hold him when he cried, comfort him when he was hurt or scared, and protect him with my life. He could count on me to love him and care for him, even at times when no one else would.

So I sat down beneath the willow and pulled Joe into my arms. He immediately flung his arms around my neck and let his head rest on my shoulder.

"Why does he always pick on me, Gary?" Joe sobbed, "What did I ever do to him?" I held his head against my shoulder and stroked his soft blonde hair gently.

"Oh, don't mind him, Joe-la." I said softly, "He does that all the time. The only reason he doesn't do it to me is because he knows I can and will kick his butt." I got a smile out of him with that.

"Really, you should be glad. He only does that with people he likes and cares about?"

"Really?" Joe Don asked. I nodded.

"He _is _my cousin, after all."

Joe Don laughed, one of the sweetest sounds I'd ever heard, "And you know him better than anyone, Gary."

"Yeah, unfortunately, I had to live with him for a while." We both laughed at that.

"Do you think he'll ever stop, Gary?" Joe asked, leaning his head back against my shoulder. I wrapped a wing around the two of us.

"Knowing Jay, he won't ever stop entirely," I answered, "But if you let him know he's bugging you, he'll probably cut back. And Joe, if he gives you a hard time, just know you have my permission to give it right back to him, and give him a harder time." I winked at him and smiled. Joe Don returned the smile.

"Thanks, Gary-la." he said, his silver-flecked green eyes sparkling. I nodded and we stood up.

"Now then, how about you go catch some more fish for us two."

"Okay!" Joe exclaimed and took off flying down the stream a little ways. I leaned against the tree and watched him.

"Why, hello there, little prince." a voice hissed behind me. I froze. Very slowly, I turned my eyes and head until I could see her.

A girl about a foot shorter than me emerged from the trees. Her skin was a dark tan, like she was Hispanic or Egyptian. Long, straight hair blacker than Alloran's scales fell to her hips, which were rather seductively shaped, as was her entire body. She wore dark eyeshadow and thick mascara on her long, full lashes, which framed almond shaped black eyes with a mischievous gleam in them. Her lips were a dark red, like blood. She wore a mildly revealing skintight outfit made of glossy black leather. She walked toward me, swaying her hips in a way that would make most men drool.

"Um, do I know you?" I asked. She giggled and smiled flirtatiously.

"No." she said, putting a hand up to cup my cheek, "But you will soon." she breathed into my ear. She should have known better than to try this. I wasn't interested in..._that..._in any form. By the way she was acting and the way she looked, I could tell she wanted to seduce me and have her way with me. She was already starting to unbutton the front of my shirt. I wasn't stupid. I'd read plenty of myths and legends about them, and I knew a seductress when I met one. I surprised her by ducking low and spinning out of her grasp. She hissed under her breath as I backed away.

"I'm sorry, miss, but I'm not interested in your,...ah, _services. _Your efforts would best be spent on a younger, more naive teenage boy." She smiled, her teeth bright and white.

"Are you sure, _Gary?" _She drew out my name, trying to reel me in as she suddenly appeared beside me, holding as much of herself against me as she could. I gently pushed her off of me and backed away again.

"I'm sure." I said. She seemed to back off a bit.

"Very well, then." she said softly, "I guess you've chosen to do this the hard way.

Suddenly, she turned around and leapt on top of me, knocking me to the ground. I lay there, winded for a moment. In that short moment, I saw that she had changed.

Her bright, white teeth were now pointed fangs, her black fingernails were now claws on the ends of scaly fingers. She had long pointed ears and reptilian black eyes with black slits for pupils. A pair of black horns had sprung from the top of her head. I could see spikes running down the length of her back and down her arms and legs. She no longer wore black high heels, instead, she had scaly T-Rex feet. Huge black wings sprouted from her back. I had only seen one image of such a creature, but I still recognized it. A lethrarckh_, _a type of demon that doubled as a seductor/seductress. It appeared as a flawless man or woman, depending on its gender, and lulled its victims into doing whatever the demon wanted them to do. They were near impossible to resist, but beings of magic had an easier time doing it than ordinary people did. Just another advantage of being an onnick.

I pulled up my talons and kicked her hard, causing her to jump back. She growled in frustration, the lethrarckh was obviously not used to being turned down. She lashed out at me with her claws. I jumped backward, holding my bladed tail in front of me, poised to attack if I needed to.

"My lady commands that I bring you back alive, or else I would just kill you, half-breed." she snarled as she leapt at me again. I danced back out of her reach.

"How the heck did you even know where I was?" I asked. She laughed, although it sounded more like cackling.

"You shouldn't spit flames at night, when _anyone _can see it." She looked off down the stream, "I wonder if my lady's sent someone after the other two of you. I would bet they've already gotten that puny little weakling you call Joe Don." That was her mistake. She could insult me all she wanted, but no one, _no one, _talked about _my _baby like that. I loosed a thunderous roar and whipped my tail toward her. She expected the attack, but not the speed at which it came. A black gash opened along her arm. The demon screeched and threw a ball of demon magic at me. I snapped open my wings and shot into the air, the demon right behind me. Only now did I remember that I had no experience with aerial combat. _Crap! _I thought as I dodged another demon spell. Well, it looked like I was about to have a crash course in fighting-and-staying-alive-while-flying. I banked and veered left, pulling up into a steep climb. The demon followed my path exactly. Without warning, I pulled into a fast backflip that turned into a dive. I pulled up again and lashed out with one talon as I passed her. She spotted me at the last second and dodged the talon. A searing pain suddenly tore through my leg. I looked down and saw where her claws had ripped open the side of my left thigh. More blood than I'd ever seen at once spewed from the wound. I growled as I felt flames licking the back of my throat, ready to burst forth onto my opponent in a fiery storm.

"You did _not _just do that." I snarled. She flashed her fangs.

"Die, half-breed scum!" Suddenly, she delivered a hard kick straight to my gut. The air rushed out of my lungs as I tumbled backwards, flapping desperately to stay aloft, my hands clutching my stomach where the clawed foot had hit. I felt something sticky and warm oozing around my fingers. I had a pretty good guess as to what it was, but I looked anyway, just to be sure.

Yep, it was blood. _Lots _of blood. And it was mine. That meant I would have to end this fast. I reluctantly took my hands off my stomach. I would need every possible defense I could muster.

I shot back toward the lethrarckh, trying to ignore my wounds searing with pain. She smiled, raising her claws in anticipation of an attack. I couldn't use my tail or my talons because she knew those were my first resort. I didn't know magic, so that wasn't an option, and I couldn't run because I would lose to much energy and blood to keep flying. So I did the only thing left. The one thing the demon probably never expected.

I flew up and punched her in the face.

She'd obviously never had a good sock-in-the-face before. She tumbled backward head over heels. I had to give her credit when she recovered quickly, and latched onto my back. I basically spazzed out, bucking and dropping, trying anything to throw her off. It was pointless. She had an iron grip on me and wasn't letting go. I tried throwing my hands back, trying to smack her in the face or unbalance her. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw two black specks in the sky shooting toward us. I paused, trying to figure out what they were. That was my mistake, and I realized it when I felt sharp teeth sink into my neck and start pumping venom. I screamed in pain and thrashed wildly around, but the lethrarckh's hold was relentless. And her weight was slowly dragging me down toward the water. I felt her pull back on my neck and jerked my head forward. I heard a satisfying crack and a gasp and felt the demon go limp on my back. Her weight shifted to one side and pulled me over onto my back and pulled me down quickly toward the river. I struggled to get her off, but it did no good. I was too weak from the fight and from losing blood. A red haze filled my vision, which was rapidly blurring, and sounds became distant and almost indistinct. As I hit the water, the dead demon taking the brunt of the impact, I could've sworn I heard a frantic voice screaming "Gary! No! GARY!..."

* * *

**Uh-oh. Gary's in trouble!**

**Yeah, so that was my first attempt at writing a fight scene. I also just had to put some GaryXJoe Don fluff in it and this was a great opportunity to do that.**

**Pronunciation Note: lethrarckh (LETH-rark)**

**Please review and tell me how I did on the fight scene and the fluff bits.**


	5. Holes

**Welcome back for Chapter Five! Here, we have a change in POV, which will happen at times. This is my first time doing something like that, so please let me know how I did. Also, we gain a little insight into D. L.-verse Joe Don's (not the real Joe Don. Sorry, fangirls) past in relation to Gary and Jay. That will play a major part later, too. Now, on to the story!**

**Disclaimer: You should know by now that I don't own Rascal Flatts, just this alternate version of them.**

* * *

**- 5. Holes -**

I was balanced right on the threshold between consciousness and uncosciousness. My whole body was numb with weakness and exhaustion. And cold. It was so cold, I swore I was turning to ice. Yeah, that would be wonderful news in a few generations. _Alloran's gone and his son can't take the throne because he's a block of ice since he froze after he couldn't get a dead lethrarckh off his back. So, who wants to replace him?_

Distantly, I felt strong arms around me, pulling me toward their owner. I felt water run off my face as I was lifted up. I floated gently on those arms to where they laid me down somewhere soft and warm. I heard sounds, but they were distant and almost unintelligible. I held on to those sounds, they were the only thing keeping me from slipping into the black pit of unconsciousness. I only caught snippets of what was being said.

"...-ary...-ake up-..."

"...-ease!...Gar-...-y!"

"...-ot...-ood...-ink...-he-...dying-..."

"...needs...help!" The words became clearer as I concentrated on them. The feeling began to return to my body, and I realized I was on solid ground and someone was holding me and stroking my hair and forehead gently.

"Mhm...Joe..." I muttered and tried to move closer to him. A different pair of hands immediately stopped me.

"Don't move, Gary." Jay's voice warned, "You're hurt. Bad."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious." I growled, causing Joe to try and conceal a snicker of amusement.

"Well, that's a sure sign your head's okay." Jay snorted at his own joke.

"Yours won't be if you keep it up." I muttered.

"Stop it, Jay, this is serious! He could die! We need to stop the bleeding and find someone who can help him!" Joe Don's voice was frantic with worry. Jay turned serious in an instant.

"All right, Joe, you're right. You stay here with him and try to stop the bleeding, and I'll go find someone to help him." And Jay was gone in a rush of wings.

"Joe..." I gasped, red haze trying to cloud my eyes again. He touched my cheek gently.

"Shh, Gary. It's okay. You'll be all right." Gently, he picked up my hand and held it in both of his, rubbing it softly as he held it.

"Juh..." I coughed before I got the word out. Blood splattered all over my face and neck, and even Joe Don's face, since it was so close to mine. He said nothing, only held me tighter and continued stroking my hair. I whimpered softly at the pain in my throat from the demon's bite. Joe Don turned my head slowly to where he could examine the bite. He touched it very gently, but I still winced and stiffened, my tail lashing a bit. Joe seemed to remember something then and gently laid me down on the grass. He disappeared from my sight for a little bit, but he was quick to return. Carefully, he lifted me up so he could wrap the animal skins he'd brought around my wounds.

"Joe..." I gasped weakly, amazed at how fast the poison was taking effect.

"Hush, Gary. Save your strength." he replied softly.

Jay returned quickly with Maagnis and Alloran close behind. Maagnis immediately rushed to my side. She examined my wounds, as though she could see through Joe Don's makeshift bandages. Her eyes traveled from my leg to my stomach, and finally, to my neck, where she gasped in horror.

"Lethrarckh." Alloran growled.

"What?" Joe Don asked.

"He was bitten by a lethrarckh, a demon seductress. One working for Morzana, too, I'll warrant." He turned to Maagnis. " Is there any way to draw the venom out?'

"_VENOM!?__" _Joe Don shrieked, which was surprising, since he was usually a very quiet person.

"Yes, lethrarckhs are venomous. It's how they dispose of those they've had enough..._fun..._with."

"Oh, Gary." Joe Don held me tighter now. Maagnis examined the bite marks on my neck.

"Not by ordinary means I can't." she answered, "Unless it's done magically, he'll die before we can get an antidote."

"Do it!" Joe Don cried, "Do it! Save him!"

"Not so fast, Joe Don. If we rush into this, we could hurt him even more." That fazed him, since Joe wasn't too keen on the idea of me getting hurt again.

"It will be painful-" Great, Alloran. Just what I wanted to hear, "-and will most likely leave him unconscious for a few hours. He may-"

"For Pete's sake, just DO IT ALREADY!" Jay yelled, "We can talk later! Gary's DYING!-" Joe Don winced at that, "-so we need to help him NOW!"

Maagnis stepped up to my side and began muttering in what I guessed was another language. Immediately, fire raced through my veins, my entire body felt like it was burning. Through watery eyes, I saw Jay and Joe Don cover their ears. And I heard screams, terrible pained screams like nothing I'd ever heard. So, of course, I was surprised when I figured out they were MY screams.

I saw what looked like liquid fire rising out of the wounds in my neck. As it rose, I could see it dissolve and disappear on the wind. After what seemed like ages, Maagnis stopped.

I didn't realize I had been brought to my feet by the force of the magic until my knees buckled under me. Jay raced forward and caught me before I hit the ground. He immediately picked me up and took off carrying me in his arms. The gentle motion of his smooth flight slowly lulled me into unconsciousness.

* * *

_Joe Don's POV_

I was right behind Jay as he took off with Gary in his arms. I couldn't help feeling that this was my fault. If I hadn't fought with Jay over breakfast, Gary wouldn't have had to get me away from him. Or if I hadn't left after Gary and I talked under the willow. Then Gary would never have been hurt.

_Oh, Gary, I'm so sorry, _I thought as I followed Jay back to the dragon clan's "village", as I had come to call it. My wings felt almost too heavy to lift as I flew. But I didn't want to lose Jay and Gary.

Ahead of me, Jay flew a little higher. Gary's limp wings hung down from his back and blew in the wind of Jay's flight. His tail dangled almost as low as his wings, and it too blew gently on the breeze. I knew Jay was probably going to try and lecture me when Gary was taken care of. I knew he meant well, but he wasn't good at showing it. He didn't understand me the way Gary did. He didn't know me, and I doubted he ever truly would. He thought of me as an outsider who had invaded his and Gary's dream the night I first played with them in Nashville. He and Gary were family, and had known each other since birth, while I was a stranger who hadn't known either of them until that night. I had been small and weak, living in a shabby apartment that was barely more than a broom closet. I had been jumped by gangsters a few days after we first performed together. It had been Gary who found me and took me back to his and Jay's apartment, which wasn't much larger than mine. He had cared for me, comforted me, and given me a place to sleep for the night. But once he had left me in his bed, I lay awake hearing Gary and Jay arguing and raising their voices at each other. At one point, i started hearing loud thumps and cries of pain, and I knew it was because Jay didn't want me there. With tears in my eyes, I had snuck out the window and just sat in the alley crying for the rest of the night.

That was twelve years ago. Jay had come to like me a lot since then, but I didn't think he would ever forgive me for that night so long ago. He loved Gary, they were cousins. And it was my fault Gary was dying.

I flew ahead a bit and landed in a small clearing. Jay touched down beside me and took Gary over to a large tree whose base was covered in a thick blanket of moss. The springy plant made a good, soft bed for Gary to lay on until he woke up. I found the stash of blankets from my tour bus I'd brought and hidden in a hollowed out log. Carefully, I spread them over Gary, tucking them in around his shoulders and neck. I paused a moment to look at the place where the lethrarckh had bitten him. I choked back a gasp when I saw it.

Two wounds, about the size of dimes, had been made on either side of his neck. The skin around then was detailed with black vein patterns from where the venom had first entered Gary. The wounds stretched a bit toward the back of Gary's neck where the demon had been perched on his back trying to rip his throat out. His shirt was torn from her claws digging into his shoulders to keep her on. I stroked his face gently, tears welling up in my eyes as I saw the attack over and over again, my heart breaking to see my beloved Gary in such pain that it left him unconscious.

"Joe, this isn't your fault." Jay placed his hand on my shoulder, "You had no idea there was a demon on the loose, and frankly, I'm surprised that she was this close to the clan-lands." I just nodded, not wanting him to see the tears forming in my eyes. It was one of the things I hated about myself, how easily someone or something could make me cry.

"Joe, you-" He was cut off as I stood silently and walked down the stream. I didn't want this. Not now. I slumped down under a willow between two thick ferns. I drew my knees up to my chest and wrapped my wings around myself, gently rocking back and forth,my tears finally falling as I wished Gary was there to hold and comfort me. I let my head fall and softly cried myself to sleep.

* * *

**Aaww, poor Joe Don. Don't worry, he gets better. Also, in the next chapter, we are introduced to another creature OC of mine, another strange creature from the D. L.-verse. Until then, please R&R and tell me your favorite Rascal Flatts song (since this is about them)**


	6. The Day Before You

**All right, this one's the longest chapter I've written for any of my fics. I'm honored to have it be in my Rascal Flatts fic. Seriously, this is-**

**Jay: Dammit, Deanta, just tell the story.**

**Deanta: LANGUAGE, JAY!**

**Jay: Sor-ree!**

**Gary: Deanta doesn't own us, or our music, only her version of us.**

**Joe Don: All the dragons and other non-Rascal Flatts characters belong to Deanta Lane Sauron.**

* * *

**- 6. The Day Before You -**

_Gary's POV_

When I woke up, the little bt of sky that was visible through the treetops was cloudy and overcast. It hadn't rained yet, but thanks to my keener dragon senses, I could smell the rain coming, a sweet damp smell that covered the forest floor like a thin mist. Looking around, I could see flattened plants where either Jay or Joe Don had been laying. I was laying between two large tree roots. I was surprised to see that I was covered by an Ohio State Buckeyes blanket. Joe must have gone back to the tour buses and gathered things he thought we'd need or want. I could hear the creek running close by on my right, and for some reason my right hand felt warmer than my left, as if some small animal was curled up asleep inside it. I decided I had better find Jay and Joe Don, or at least find something to eat.

"Don't move!" a small voice yelled, although it wasn't very loud. It also wasn't anyone I knew, which made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. The last stranger that talked to me turned out to be a demon who wanted to kill me. I wasn't excited about meeting any friends of hers. I felt something move in my right hand.

Turns out we onnicks have incredible reflexes. My hand snapped shut like a Venus Flytrap around the little...whatever it was, and I could feel it thrashing around and wriggling in my hand. I sat up and held the small creature where I could look at it. But I was unprepared for what I saw.

It was a human. That is, if humans were only about ten inches tall and had flawless beauty to them. But more startling was the human it looked like-okay, the human/dragon hybrid it looked like. It was an exact miniature copy of _me. _It had the same spiky blonde hair, the same muscular build, even the same blue-and-silver eyes.

"What the...what _are _you?" I asked, bewildered.

"I'm a lithen, though you probably don't know what that is. I've been healing you, otherwise you would have been out longer. You were out for a good time already. I was afraid you were dead." The lithen resumed his struggling in my hand.

"Wait, how long was I out?" I asked.

"About two days." he answered, "They got the poison out of you, but it had already started taking effect. Thankfully, I was able to reverse the effect."

"So...you've been helping me? Why?"

"You saved my life. You killed Dreána." he answered.

"Who?"

"The lethrarckh who attacked you. I was her slave. She used me to find her way here, and then to find you."

"Well, thank you for helping me, but seeing as you also helped the enemy, it's probably best if I kill you, much as I hate to do it." I tightened my grip, causing the the lithen to cry out in pain.

"No, please! You don't understand! I had no choice! She forced me! I was a slave! It was my punishment for trying to run away!" That made me pause.

"Who were you running away from? Dreána?" He shook his head.

"Morzana." he answered, and I felt him shudder as he said the name. "She captured me and made me her slave, even though she already has many lithens under her control, including all of Ilmara, my home." I thought I saw a tear on his little face at the last part. "I led an attack, hoping I could save my colony. But Morzana was too powerful. She enslaved us all, and killed those who fought too hard. I...I am the only lithen of Ilmara to have escaped her now."

"I thought you belonged to Dreána?" I said.

"I did. After I was recaptured, Morzana dissolved my bond to her and bound me to Dreána instead. I tried to dissolve the bond on my own, but Dreána was too focused. She was able to block my power. But when she found you, she forgot about me, and I was able to loosen the bond enough to where I wasn't affected when you killed her."

"You'll have to forgive me, but I have no idea what most of the stuff you're talking about means. Maybe Alloran knows." I stood shakily, still holding the lithen rather tightly, "You'll have to tell him everything you've told me, aand don't leave anything out, or he may decide you're better off dead."

"I will." he assured me. I spread my wings and took off, headed for where I knew Alloran's "throne room" was.

* * *

After the lithen had finished his story, Alloran was quiet for a moment before he turned to me.

"Gary, do you realize what you've found?" he asked.

"Um, a potential spy for us that can easily get inside Morzana's...wherever she does her scheming?" Alloran shook his head.

"No, Gary, that is too risky with such a creature as this. Do you know why Morzana enslaved so many lithens?"

"I'm not even gonna try to guess." I said. Alloran held back a chuckle. Gotta hand it to him, being a king for thousands of years, and the guy still had his sense of humor.

"Lithens are ancient and powerful creatures of magic. Some races define them as the physical embodiments of magic. Small kingdoms have overthrown empires with help from lithens. And some human kingdoms have been destroyed by lithen cities or colonies because they tried to invade. Only the most powerful kings were able to invade lithen strongholds, and even then, those were weaker colonies. Morzana desires this power, which is why she enslaves them."

"Okay, well, that sounds like the Morzana we all know and hate." I said.

"Yes." Alloran agreed, "But to hear that Ilmara has been taken..."

"What?" I asked, "What's so special about Ilmara?" The lithen scowled at me, but I ignored him.

"Ilmara is the prophesied birthplace of the most powerful lithen ever known to exist." Alloran answered, "He is prophesied to aid a prophesied on..._dragon_...in Morzana's defeat."

"And if she has the entire colony-" I started.

"-she may very well have this lithen." Alloran finished.

"Oh, that's not good." I said, "That is NOT good."

"No, it is not." Alloran agreed.

"But what was he talking about with bonds and all that?" I asked, remembering that Alloran hadn't mentioned that yet.

"Ah, yes, the bond. That is the most unique feature of lithen magic. They are very powerful on their own, but when they meet a certain person, their _lith _as they call it, the person they were meant for, they form an extremely strong magical bond with them. They are then connected by mind, heart, and soul. This is a true bond with a lithen, and it makes both the lithen and the lith even more powerful than they already were. Of course, the lithen will only form the bond with a voluntary lith. They can bond with others, but it doesn't make them stronger, it just makes it possible for the person they're bonded with to use their power, usually against the lithen's will." Alloran paused and looked down at the lithen in my hand.

"As for this one, he has spoken no words of deceit. Therefore, he is no threat to us. But I'd advise you to keep a close eye on him so Morzana's spies cannot get their hands on him. He may be helpful in saving Ilmara and retrieving the prophesied lithen. And he will be a great help to you if you have questions about lithens or magic."

"Right. You're staying with me, uh..." I realized I didn't know the lithen's name.

"I don't have a name." he said, "Morzana forbade it."

"Well, then what do we call you? I don't think you'd like Shortstack, and Mini-me is just weird." I looked to Alloran, hoping he could help.

"He looks just like a little Gary." the dragon said, flashing me a toothy grin.

"Little Gary." I repeated, "Now, that one I kinda like. What about you?" I looked down at the lithen.

"Me? Share your name?" he asked, wide-eyed.

"Yeah, you and about half the country." I said, which got a smile out of him.

"I like it." he said at last.

"All right, Little Gary it is, then." I said.

"Um, Gary?"

"Yes?"

"Loosen up. You're hurting me." Little Gary squeaked.

"Sorry." I lifted him up, and he climbed onto my shoulder. If I hadn't seen him, I wouldn't have known he was even there, since he didn't weigh hardly anything. "I'd hold on if I were you." I said as I spread my wings. "You don't get airsick, do you?" Little Gary laughed.

"I lived with dragons! How could I get airsick?" Apparently, he also had the same sense of humor as me.

"Good." I said, and leapt into the air.

* * *

Little Gary spotted them before I did. He was sitting on my back as I flew, holding the collar of my shirt like a pair of reins.

"There they are!" he called.

"Where?" I yelled in response.

"Bank right." So I did. And sure enough, there were Jay and Joe Don, standing in a small clearing off to my right.

"How'd you find them?" I asked.

"I don't know."

"Whaddaya mean, you don't know?"

"I don't know how it happened. I've never been able to locate anything with my mind before." It didn't make much sense to me, but Little Gary knew himself better than I did, And Alloran, my go-to-guy for all things weird and not human, trusted him, so why shouldn't I? Still, I made a mental note to ask about it later.

"I think you should get down there now." Little Gary said, "Whatever's going on, it's not good." I didn't know how he knew that, but something told me he was right. I angled down and headed for the clearing.

Little Gary hit the nail on the head. They were arguing.

"It's all YOUR fault! You were supposed to stay with him!" Jay yelled.

"How is it my fault? You never let me out of your sight!" Joe Don shouted.

"Well, you were the last person to see him!"

"But it was YOUR idea to have both of us leave to get food!"

"Maybe so," Jay's teeth gritted, "but just because I do it doesn't mean you have to!"

"I was AGREEING with you!" Joe Don cried.

"Because you can't make your own decisions! Because of you, Gary's gone! God DANGIT, Joe Don, are you ALWAYS going to be this STUPID!" Jay's face was red.

"Oh, sure, Jay, do what you always do! Blame it all on me whenever something doesn't go the way you want it to! That makes you happy, doesn't it? Not that you'd even care how I feel! You never do! Maybe you'd be happy if I was DEAD!" There were tears in Joe Don's eyes, and I could see as I landed that his face was red where Jay had probably slapped him. Neither of then noticed me touch down, until Joe Don turned to run away and plowed right into me. He looked up for a second and saw it was me, then he flung his arms around me and buried his face in my shoulder. I wrapped my arms around him and gently stroked his soft blonde hair.

"Shh, Joe, it's okay. I'm here now. It's all right." I spoke softly, quietly, trying to soothe him. I could feel him shaking as sobs racked his skinny body. Little Gary crawled over to that shoulder and used his hands to pull Joe Don's hair out of his face. In doing so, he forgot that we weren't alone, and Jay spotted him.

A _fwapp _and a shriek was all I heard, but the next thing I saw was Little Gary on the ground, frozen in terror, with Jay's tail blade at his throat.

"Gary!" he cried, and I felt more emotion for him now than I had before. His little voice was so scared, his eyes wide with fear, his body trembling at seeing how close he was to death.

I let go of Joe Don and shoved Jay back.

"Leave him alone! He's not a threat!" I said, standing between Little Gary and Jay. Joe Don, I saw, moved to the lithen's side, his sobbing and crying now replaced by curiosity and wonder.

"You're not very grateful, Gary. I probably just saved your life. Here, I'll prove it." With that, Jay darted over and grabbed Little Gary in his hand, just like I had done, except I could see Jay's knuckles turning white. Little Gary's face twisted in pain as Jay squeezed him tighter. "This was on your shoulder, Gary. Another demon."

"Jay, does that even _look _like a demon? No, he's not. He's a lithen, and he's been healing me. I've already shown him to Alloran and Alloran says he's okay, but for him to stay with me. He deserted Morzana and we don't want her getting him back." I growled.

"How do you know it's not still serving Morzana?" Jay asked, giving the lithen a hard shake as he did.

"You don't believe me, go ask Alloran." I cried, "But let him go. You're hurting him." Instead, Jay held him tighter. Suddenly, blue lightning engulfed Jay's hand. He yelped and flung his hand up, which sent Little Gary flying. The minute the lithen left his hand, the blue lightning disappeared.

"I will," Jay snarled, "And I'll be sure to include that, too." Then he took off, circled once, and was gone.

I rushed to where Little Gary had fallen. He lay on his back, gasping for breath.

"Are you all right?" I asked. I was worried Jay had broken something or hurt him somehow. It wouldn't have been hard to do since he was so small. He nodded his head, but the poor lithen was still trembling all over. Carefully, I slid one hand under his back and the other under his legs. I picked him up slowly and held him close to me. He clung to my shirt with a surprisingly strong grip.

"What is he?" Joe Don asked.

"A lithen." I said, "According to Alloran, they're basically the physical embodiment of magic."

"Wow." Joe's eyes sparkled with interest, "Can you tell me more about them?" So I told him everything Alloran had told me, with Little Gary occasionally adding in details I forgot. When we finished, Joe seemed even more awestruck.

"So, Little Gary doesn't have a lith?" We shook our heads, "Oh. So...that blue lightning around Jay's hand...was that you?" Little Gary nodded.

"Yes, but I've never been able to do that before."

"Maybe you're getting stronger." I suggested. Little Gary shook his head.

"The only way I could get stronger is if I found my lith." he said, "and the only way I'll know that is when my magic sign is reflected off of him and the possible bond becomes visible to both of us."

"Maybe you have found him." Joe Don nudged me playfully, "What do you think, Gary?"

"Dunno." I said with a shrug.

"I do." growled a voice behind me. A long, snakelike dragon emerged from the woods and looked straight at Little Gary. "I've found you at last, you little traitor." The lithen shivered again as he clung to me. The snake dragon laughed.

"I can't wait to see the Queen rip you to shreds when I bring you back." Then he spied the two of us, "Well, well, well, if it isn't the half-breed Dreána failed to capture. And another one like him. Hmm, the Queen shall reward me greatly." Without warning, he lunged at us. Joe and I jumped aside and he bit into the ground.

"Little Gary!" I called.

"Still here!" came the answer, and I felt him crawl into the back of my shirt.

"Get in the air!" Joe Don yelled. I thrust downward with my wings and rocketed into the sky, Joe Don and the snake dragon right behind me. I heard the dragon muttering something as he flew. Suddenly, I was frozen in place, the dragon hurtling toward me. I was so panicked by the dragon that I almost didn't notice the pattern of glowing spots on Little Gary's face. But as I looked, I could see what looked like whisps of cloud between the two of us. We both gasped when we realized what was happening.

"Gary!" Joe Don cried, "Hurry! Make the bond!" I looked at the snake dragon. Joe Don followed my gaze.

"Don't worry about him! I'll hold him off! Just make the bond!" I nodded to him and closed my eyes, focusing all my strength on finding Little Gary's mind. The minute I found him, I held on. I felt Little Gary resisting at first, but he allowed me to enter-well actually, he pulled me in-and spoke to me through our thoughts.

_Gary!_ he cried, _It's you! You're my lith!_

_Well, that would explain why you've been able to do things like find Jay and Joe or shock Jay's hand. _I replied.

_Uh-huh. But I have to be sure. Are you okay with it, Gary?_ I was about to answer when I paused, realizing I should give this a thought. From what Alloran and Little Gary had told me, the bond was something to be taken seriously. More seriously than even marriage, Alloran had said. It was a powerful bond. I would essentially be making Little Gary a part of me. Was I ready to do that? Was I ready to have that kind of intimate connection with someone? Was I ready to have that kind of power in my hands?

On the other hand, I knew I couldn't survive the age of Morzana alone. And after Dreána, I would take all the help I could get. And Little Gary needed me now. He was depending on me to keep him out of Morzana's grasp. And I wasn't about to let him down.

_Yes. _I said, _Do it. Make the bond._

Little Gary then let himself into my mind. I could feel him taking in every part of me and joining it with himself. Our thoughts, memories, feelings, even our minds, hearts, and souls melted together and became one. I opened my eyes to see that the two of us were surrounded by swirling streams of white light. The light began to close in around us, almost like a cocoon, growing brighter and brighter as it got closer. Like a lock clicking, I felt the bond close and seal.

In a fiery torrent, Little Gary's power blazed into me. I was amazed that something so small was this strong. It rushed through my body, perfecting anything that was defective or misshapen. I could feel him more than ever now, his emotions, his thoughts, his memories. And, for the first time, I felt something inside me that I knew could only be my own magic. It had lain dormant for so long that it took the influx of power from the lithen to awaken it. I could feel it rush to meet his. I felt our power merge together. I could feel the spell from the snake dragon that held us. And I could feel how easy it would be for our combined power, once released, to break his spell.

_Ready when you are, _I thought to Little Gary.

_NOW! _he yelled. Together, we relinquished our hold on the energy within us. The magic exploded outward, and I felt the spell shatter around us, along with the light that had surrounded Little Gary and I when we formed our bond.

Joe Don was staring at us, awestruck, as we broke free of the magical fields around us. The snake dragon seemed equally surprised.

"Impossible!" he shouted.

"Oh, it's quite possible." Little Gary sneered.

_Dive. _he commanded. I nodded and angled straight down toward the dragon. I tucked my wings in and dropped like a stone. Just when I thought we were going to collide, Little Gary threw a volley of fireballs into the dragon's face. He screamed and fell backwards. I stayed in my dive and stretched my talons forward. As I dove past, I raked them down the dragon's underside. Just before hitting the ground, I snapped open my wings and flapped hard. Little Gary held on tight to my shirt. As I flew upward, the snake dragon crashed into the ground. Joe Don flew over it cautiously, examining the way it had fallen and making sure it wouldn't get up again.

"It's knocked out." he called, "Although even if it does get up, it won't be able to go anywhere. You guys blinded it totally."

"We should probably go get Alloran and Jay. They'll want to know about this." Little Gary commented.

"Jay'll have a heart attack when he hears about this." I remarked.

"That's all right, we'll just have Little Gary shock his heart." Joe said with a laugh.

"All right, let's go, you two." I said. Joe and I wheeled around in the sky and headed back to Alloran.

* * *

**Ah, the plot thickens and Jay is a total butt wipe.**

**Jay: HEY!**

**Deanta: Well, you were!**

**Jay: (incoherent grumbling)**

**Gary: He's just jealous that I got to be awesome. AGAIN.**

**Joe Don: Reviews please! (sad puppy face)**


End file.
